State park on legislative hit list

Officials with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are set to meet with representatives from Big Spring and Howard County Friday to discuss the rather uncertain future of the Big Spring State Park, which has been targeted by the legislature to be transferred out of state control.

The legislature is currently dealing with a massive budgetary shortfall that is expected to cut into the TPWD 2012-2013 budget by more than 20 percent, equalling a whopping $162 million cut to the department's estimated coffers.

Part of those cuts involves TPWD transferring more than a half-dozen parks out of state control, as well as the elimination of two state park regional offices.

Among the parks targeted for transfer are Big Spring State Park, Blanco State Park, Daingerfield State Park, Lockhart State Park, Lake Casa Blanca International State Park near Laredo, Sebastopol State Historic Site in Seguin and Wyler Aerial Tramway in El Paso.

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